A Closed City Already Given by the Lord
Faith receives God's promise before circumstances change and obeys His word even when the commanded path does not resemble ordinary human strategy.
Joshua 6:1-5 (BSB)
1Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.
2And the LORD said to Joshua, “Behold, I have delivered Jericho into your hand, along with its king and its mighty men of valor.
3March around the city with all the men of war, circling the city one time. Do this for six days.
4Have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark. Then on the seventh day, march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the horns.
5And when there is a long blast of the ram’s horn and you hear its sound, have all the people give a mighty shout. Then the wall of the city will collapse and all your people will charge straight into the city.”
What is the big idea of Joshua 6:1-5?
Faith receives God's promise before circumstances change and obeys His word even when the commanded path does not resemble ordinary human strategy.
Understanding the Big Idea
Jericho is shut against Israel when the Lord declares it given into Joshua's hand and prescribes the priest-led march. The promise comes before the strange strategy and the visible collapse.
How does Joshua 6:1-5 point to Christ?
This passage does not directly proclaim the finished gospel. It shows the LORD giving victory according to His promise while requiring obedient trust from His people. The New Testament centers God's decisive saving victory in Jesus Christ, whose death and resurrection accomplish what sinners could never achieve for themselves. The church therefore lives by faith in God's accomplished and promised work, but its mission advances through gospel proclamation, holiness, love, and disciple-making rather than reenacting Israel's conquest of Jericho.
Authorial Intent
To establish that Jericho's fall is fundamentally the LORD's gift and to command Israel to trust and obey an unconventional, divinely prescribed plan in which the city's apparent security is overcome by God's promised action rather than ordinary siege power.
Literary Context
Joshua 5:13-15 places Joshua under the authority of the commander of the LORD's army and ends with Joshua standing on holy ground. Joshua 6:1-5 then opens the Jericho episode with the city's closure, the LORD's declaration that Jericho has been given, and the prescribed seven-day plan. Joshua 6:6-11 follows as Joshua summons the priests and people and begins implementing the command.
Historical Context
Israel is encamped near Jericho after crossing the Jordan, renewing circumcision, celebrating Passover, and encountering the commander of the LORD's army.
Chapter: Joshua 6
The Fall of Jericho and the Devotion of the City to the LORD
The LORD gives victory to His people through obedient faith, while His judgment falls on the defiant and His mercy preserves those who seek refuge under His promise.